Ah, Christmas. That wonderful time of year when families come together and all is joyful….until the inevitable foot-in-mouth situation.
I love that there are now children around again at Christmas. But three years ago I was teetering on the edge of post-partum depression, fueled by an epic family disagreement (one day to be the subject of a post). And in those first newborn weeks I made the stupid decision to get professional photographs taken of the newborns. Continue reading
Ok, so I’m not up on the Star Wars reference (I know it, but I’m possibly the only person who has not watched the film). But here’s the thing – I am going to be my children’s parent, not their friend.
It always amazes me when people say they want to be their child’s friend. It amazed me more when I heard that someone had said it on a parenting course that I had been thinking of attending. I’ve had years of experience of being a friend, so if I need a course on anything it’s certainly not that.
Ah, the diaper bag. A new mum’s new best friend. An essential piece of equipment, true, but here’s a secret….there is no need to go out and buy a ‘diaper bag’.
What makes a diaper bag a ‘diaper bag’? Is it the teddy bear design? The hundreds of pockets? The ubiquitous included changing mat?
No, it’s simply a bag that you are using to carry baby stuff in. In fact, the only essentials are enough storage, easy clean, looks good and ideally allows you to be hands free. Here’s why…
PMS sucks. It was awful at school. It was debilitating at work. But it is truly truly horrendous when you are a mother of young children.
Today I was struggling with PMS. I was irritable and felt lousy. BabyBoy and BabyGirl were whining, testing, arguing…..well, just being toddlers. On a normal day I might just crash at bedtime. Today I felt like I wasn’t going to be able to hack it. Today I knew I needed to take a day off sick….but there are no sick days in this job. Continue reading
My in-laws are good, worthy people. But boy do they rile me up when it comes to my children.
My mother-in-law in particular suffers from (a) a lack of tact, and (b) a lack of boundaries. On a bad day, I can silently (and when she has gone, not-so-silently) wish that she never had to set foot over my threshold again. On a good day, I can take a deep breath and let it go. Continue reading
Blame it on society, guilt or some weird conspiracy to keep women in their place (!)….but there’s no denying that there is a pervasive concept that motherhood is somehow all-fulfilling for women, and that a ‘good mom’ is one who sacrifices herself, her time, her health, her being for her kids.
(Ever hear that about fatherhood? But I digress.)
But, and I cannot stress this too strongly, that is a myth. Continue reading
Today afterninemonths hosts a guest post from Multiple Mama with ‘A Day in the Life of a Expat Twin Mum in Hong Kong’.
It’s 6.30am and squeals of laughter are coming through the baby monitor that’s on the nightstand. Not that the monitor is totally necessary given the lack of sound insulation in Hong Kong apartments. Multiple Mama’s boy/girl twins are awake and playing peekaboo with each other through the bars of their cots. Another day in the life of a multiple mummy in Hong Kong begins. Continue reading
Sometimes, a lot of times, parenting is hard, unrelenting work.
But if there’s a shadow of a threat to your children, suddenly the hormones kick in. Those are my wonderful, amazing children!
So although it’s a bit soppy here are 10 Great Reasons Why I Love My Kids So Much (original list from this link):
I recently wrote an Alternative Guide to Preparing for Motherhood. But perhaps that was a misnomer, because unless you are a parent, you’re unlikely to ‘get’ that post.
When your kids seem to be having meltdowns over every tiny little thing (My biscuit broke in half! That lady in the lift looked at me! There’s an extra 2mm of water in my cup!), there are few things more annoying than a parent-to-be who smugly tells you how they are so ready for the changes parenthood will bring, how unbelievably useful the antenatal classes they’ve attended have been, how they are already living a babycentric life.
Parenting guides (not that I read many before I gave birth) will talk about bonding, how to change a diaper, breastfeeding, and even getting your love life back on track. However, they probably won’t mention the following things that you need to do before becoming a mother:
1. Practice feeling like a failure. At some point, you are going to feel like you’re failing as a mum. Chances are, you’re probably not, but it’ll feel like it. Do you know what first made me feel like a failure? Listening to my (then) pediatrician. We are no longer on speaking terms. Continue reading
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